Located just 8km northwest of M'Hamid, El Mesouiria is an option for an easy overnight camel trek. Dunes range between 60m and 80m in height and are characterised by their white sand and a smattering of tamarisk trees.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
Erg Chigaga
27.86 MILES
The area's star attraction is the misnamed Erg Chigaga, not a single dune (erg) but an incredible stretch of golden sand sea some 56km southwest of M…
Nearby Draa Valley attractions
1. Erg Lehoudi
5.59 MILES
The 100m-high Erg Lihoudi, located 8km northeast of M'Hamid, are some of the most easily accessible dunes in the area. Characterised by their white river…
2. Ethnographic Museum
8.7 MILES
Inside the Ksar Ouled Driss, 5km before M'Hamid, you'll find this rare example of a 17th-century ksar (fortified village) that still has around 150…
3. Erg Esmar
18.46 MILES
This collection of small dunes, rising to just 80m, are well off the main radar with no permanent camps. With its mixture of red and white dunes, it's…
4. Erg Ezahar
23.26 MILES
This tall 'screaming' dune set amid a sea of smaller dunes wails eerily when the wind kicks up. Located 65km southwest of M'Hamid, it takes three days to…
5. Maison de Poterie
25.48 MILES
Abderrahman Bassou will walk you through the rustic pottery-making process, including sitting in a hole in the ground to work the wheel. Oxidised copper…
6. Zawiya Nassiriyya
25.64 MILES
Non-Muslims cannot visit the green-roofed mausoleum but the remarkable library inside the adjacent Quranic school is open to all – providing the keyholder…
7. Tinfou Dunes
25.98 MILES
The great sand seas of M'Hamid and Merzouga can make the Tinfou Dunes, around 7km south of Tamegroute, seem like a child's sandbox – especially on busy…
8. Erg Chigaga
27.86 MILES
The area's star attraction is the misnamed Erg Chigaga, not a single dune (erg) but an incredible stretch of golden sand sea some 56km southwest of M…